This invention relates to count system for counting detection signals and more particularly to a detection signal arranging circuit in the count system applicable to a coin sorting and counting machine (hereinafter referred to as a coin sorting machine).
Shown in FIG. 1 is one example of a coin sorting machine to which this invention is applicable. In this machine, a number of coins with various denominations which have been conveyed one by one by a coin conveying device 1 are mechanically sorted by a coin sorting section 2 according to the thickness and diameters, or denominations thereof, and the coins thus sorted are transferred or distributed through respective passages 4A, 4B, 4C, etc. into respective coin containers 3A, 3B, 3C, etc. which are provided separately according to the denominations. Furthermore, in the passages 4A, 4B, 4C, etc. there are provided coin detectors 5A, 5B, 5C, etc. respectively which are, for instance, microswitches. The coin detectors 5A, 5B, 5C, etc. detect coins dropping into the respective coin containers and provide detection pulse signals Sa, Sb, Sc, etc., respectively.
In this coin sorting machine, sometimes a plurality of coins may pass through the detectors 5A, 5B, 5C . . . . at the same time because the distribution of coins is carried out at random, as a result of which the total monetary values of the coins dropped into the coin containers 3A, 3B, 3C . . . . may sometimes be counted incorrectly.
In order to overcome the above-described difficulty in accompany the conventional coin sorting machine, a count system, or a count display device, as shown in FIG. 2, has been proposed.
In this count display device, the detection pulse signal Sa, Sb, Sc, etc. provided by the microswitches 5A, 5B, 5C, etc. (FIG. 1) are applied through input terminals INa, INb, INc, etc. to individual counters 1A, 1B, 1C etc., respectively, and the numbers of coins dropped into the coin containers 3A, 3B, 3C, etc. (FIG. 1) are counted by the counters 1A, 1B, 1C, etc., respectively, that is, the coins are counted separately according to the denominations of the coins, and the resulting count values are displayed on individual mechanical or electromagnetic displayers 11A, 11B, 11C, etc., respectively.
In another example of the conventional count display device, after completion of one coin sorting operation predetermined in the coin sorting machine, a total instruction ST is applied to each of the individual counters 1A, 1B, 1C . . . . so that the total numbers of coins in the coin containers are respectively read out and are applied to an addition circuit 8 in a total counter 7. In the addition circuit 8 the numbers of coins are converted into monetary values, which are added to obtain a total monetary value. This total monetary value is stored in a memory 9 and is displayed on a total monetary value displayer 10.
In such a conventional count display device as described above, however, if the coin sorting operation is suspended before one cycle of operation of the coin sorting machine has been completed, it is impossible to display the total monetary value of the coins which have been already sorted out. This is considerably very inconvenient in sorting out and counting coins according to their denomination. For instance, in order to confirm that the total monetary value is correct, it is necessry to sort out again the coins including the coins which have been sorted out already.
Furthermore, in the conventional count display device (FIG. 2), it is necessary to provide a number of individual counters 1A, 1B, 1C . . . . as great as the number of denominations of the coins to be sorted out. That is, the circuits in the conventional count display device are rather large in number.
In addition, the conventional count display device is disadvantageous for the following reason. In the conventional count display device, the total instruction ST should be applied automatically or manually to the individual counters after the completion of the coin sorting operation. In this connection, after the application of the total instruction ST, if a coin is passed through the coin detector after an unusual delay time because it has been caught between the coin conveying device 1 and the passage, the monetary value of this coin is not added into the memory 9, which leads to an erroneous count of the total monetary value. In order to overcome this, it is necessary to make the period of time necessary for sorting out coins much longer.